It is often said by some Hindu gurus and
leaders that all religions are the same. But is this really the case?
Naturally, anyone who studies religion can see many similarities between
them. And if we are talking about getting closer to God and increasing our
understanding and love for God, then what religion is not trying to do that?
Who cannot go to a church, mosque, or temple and worship and bow to God in
prayer? It is what many of us do no matter where we may be. So, what is the
difference? Are not all religions the same?

SIMILAR
FACTORS IN ALL RELIGIONS

We can all recognize how many of the moral
principles that we follow are observed and recommended by all religions. For
example: no matter whether we talk about Christianity, Islam, Judaism,
Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, or Zoroastrianism, they all recommend
daily prayer. In Islam they are regulated to pray five times a day, while in
Hinduism they chant the gayatri mantra three times a day. And in all
religions they pray any time of day. All of these religions believe that God
or the Absolute Truth is ultimately one, except Buddhism in which some sects
do not except the soul or a God. They also believe that we are spiritual
beings, and that we should become sincerely devoted to and develop love for
God. They also recommend giving alms and doing welfare work for society.
They also accept the idea of meditating or calling out the holy names of
God, fasting, and remembering God, especially on their holy days.

All of these religions also
advise pilgrimage, going to the holy places that are important to them. They
also advise that followers be humble, honest, and tolerant in their
religious practice, and compassionate to all living beings. Thus, several of
these religions outline the ideal of being vegetarian. They all recommend,
or at least advise the decrease of the consumption of alcohol and
intoxicants, as well as the restriction of gambling. Monogamy in marriage is
often considered the highest standard, and divorce is never recommended or
is discouraged. Thus, there are many principles that are common amongst all
religions. So, what is the difficulty?

The point is that it is often
soothing to try to show how we could all live peacefully if we all focused
on our similarities. Who in their right mind would not want that? It is
certainly much easier than focusing on our differences. The core of each
religion, meaning its ultimate purpose, is similar to others in that they
all promote the increase in one’s devotion to God, being kind and
compassionate to all, and give the principles to follow to live a good and
moral existence. And for those who recognize these similarities, they all
can easily come together and worship God in unity, and respect one another
and their traditions. Yet, to actually find this kind of a situation with
mutual respect seems quite rare. Not only do those of various religions
separate themselves from others, but even within the same religion there can
be many different sects that do not agree, or even fight to the death with
one another. So, it seems that many religions do not agree with each other
on the finer details, and at best may succeed at only tolerating one another
while being quick to criticize the other. Quite honestly, it can be said
that some of the most unsettling and warring factors created in this world
are caused by religions and their attitudes and views toward one another.
History has shown that the major focus of most wars has been the differences
people perceive in one another’s religion. For example, the blood that has
been spilt in the name of Jesus or Allah is inestimable. So, is there any
chance that real harmony can exist between the various religions of the
world?

Two factors that keep the world from being united is the
presumption of racial superiority, and the desire to conquer and convert.
This means that often times the status of religions is viewed by how much
territory it controls, and how many converts it has made. If this is how
religions view their success, then there is no way in hell that harmony will
ever be created by religion. In fact, it turns them into nothing different
than political parties vying for influence. Thus, they create hell on earth
rather than being able to bring in the Kingdom of God, as some of them say
they can.

The only way to breakthrough the barriers of distinction that seem to exist
between us is with love. However, that love cannot be love of the body or
one’s own society. It has to be better and higher than that. It has to be a
spiritual love for all beings. The Dammapada (5-6) explains: “For
hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is
an old rule. The world does not know that we must all come to an end here;
but those who know it, their quarrels cease at once.”

Therefore, it is only the path of genuine spirituality that can bring us to
a level higher than what ordinary religion offers. It has to be based on the
transcendental principles of spiritual realization, not merely on the basics
of moral foundations. And if you look into the teachings of most religions,
such a lofty view of spirituality is not easily found. Thus, there is no
question that they are not all the same.

SARVA
DHARMA SAMBHAVA

Another part of this issue, at least
amongst the Hindus, is the phrase “Sarva Dharma Sambhava,” which many people
take to mean that all Dharmas or religions are the same, or are equal, or
that they all are merely different paths that lead to the same goal. Thus,
with this line of thought, any religion is as good as any other. When
viewing the essence of religions, we may find this to be a fair assumption,
with differences only in their outer superficialities. So, while using this
form of logic, it should not matter if one is a Hindu, Muslim, Christian,
Jew, etc. But this is also a mistranslation if we analyze the phrase
carefully.

We could say the same thing in regard to
foods—that they are all the same. But are they really? Are they the same in
every way? They are the same in that they are food, and the goal of food is
to satisfy and nourish the body. So, are they all the same? Some food is
Chinese, Italian, Mexican, French, Indian, etc. Plus, they are made using
different ingredients, they come from different cultures, they have
different tastes, and different effects on the body, and so on. There are
specific variations which distinguish them in ways that make some people
prefer certain foods over others. Thus, there is no way they are all exactly
the same.

So, when it comes to
understanding the meaning of Dharma, we have to be aware of its Sanskrit
definition. The root of the word dharma comes from dhri, which
means to uphold or maintain. The Sanskrit says dharayati iti dharmaha,
which translates as “dharma is that which upholds.” However, not only what
is supported is Dharma, but that which does the supporting is also Dharma,
dhriyate iti dharmaha. So, Dharma consists of both the force that
sustains as well as what is sustained. It can also be said that there is the
path of Dharma as well as its conclusion, the object of Dharma, or what we
are seeking, meaning the ultimate goal of life. So, Dharma is the means or
path as well as the goal.

Dharma is also said
to be the force which maintains the universe. Where there is Dharma there is
harmony and balance individually, socially, and inter-galactically.
Therefore, the path of Dharma brings about the harmony and contentment that
is also another aspect of what we are seeking. In this way, we want harmony
inwardly, in our own consciousness, but we also cannot have individual peace
unless there is harmony or cooperation socially, amongst the masses. Without
that, no one can have peace, unless you are completely outside the effects
of society.

The practice of
Dharma should be done not out of compulsion but out of love due to the
perception of the Supreme in all living beings. With this motivation, Dharma
can assist in preventing injury to others and treating each other
respectfully. Dharma also means righteous conduct. This includes following
social laws and proper moral activity and behavior. It encourages
truthfulness of thought, word and deed. The point of which is to reach the
goal of Dharma.

Dharma also means
truth. So, we follow the path of Dharma to free ourselves from illusion and
reach the ultimate Truth, which is the topmost reality, the spiritual
strata. The Absolute Truth means the final philosophical goal and end of all
knowledge, or Vedanta, which is God, the Supreme Being. So, when we want to
attain liberation from material existence, then it becomes much easier to
follow the path of Dharma and overcome the temptations of the temporary
material world. Then we can let go of the illusory objects that are, in
fact, hurdles on the path to Truth and God, and happiness in general.

Furthermore,
doing what should not be done is called vidharma, which is a type of
adharma or nondharmic activity. The conclusion, therefore, is that if
we want happiness and peace we must learn how to live according to the path
of Dharma. So, where there is no Dharma, there is disharmony and a state of
being that is out of balance. And socially it means that without Dharma,
there is a lack of cooperation, along with escalating quarrel and fighting.
When we act against the law of Dharma, we disrupt the very harmony and
cooperation that we want. In other words, we create a life for ourselves in
which there is stress, confusion, discontent, and frustration, and even war.
And when we feel this way, that becomes our contribution to the general
social condition. It is the exact opposite of what we wish to attain. Thus,
to live a life outside of Dharma means to work against ourselves. Therefore,
we can conclude that if each and every religion really had Dharma as the
basis of its teachings, and helped spread Dharma, there would be no
conflict. But as we can plainly see, this is not the case.

With this analysis
in mind, there are a few questions we should ask. For example:

1.How many
religions really offer true Dharma to its followers?

2.How many
really uphold the principle of Dharma within its teachings?

3.How many
truly offer mutual respect for others, even those who are outside their own
religion?

4.How many
actually teach the ways to provide balance and harmony throughout society,
rather than dividing people into false classifications, such as those who
are “saved” and those who are hell-bound, kafirs, infidels, disbelievers,
etc?

5.How many
so-called religions actually spread adharma or nondharmic activities,
such as the needless killing of useful animals like cows and bulls, or the
Brahman class of society who help preserve the Dharmic traditions, or who
try to unnecessarily criticize other religions in their attempt to gain
converts?

This makes it more obvious that not all religions promote
Dharma, nor live up to the saying of “Sarva Dharma Sambhava.” And
understanding this should cut down on the confusion that makes some people
think that all religions are the same, or are equal.

What this phrase
actually refers to are the other sects within the Vedic fold. Sanatana-dharma
or the Vedic path has various schools of Vedanta; including Vaishnavism,
Saivism, Saktism, etc. It has various creeds, and the Vedic path
accommodates all types of men. This is the glory and liberality of the
Dharmic process which provides spiritual guidance for all. Thus, no one is
considered a non-believer or hell-bound when they are only taking up
different levels of their spiritual quest through some aspect of the Vedic
teachings. Therefore, Dharma means an inclusive spiritual process, not an
exclusive system which considers only certain people being eligible to
participate, or that only those who follow the dogma of a certain religion
are eligible for heaven or the promised land. Therefore, Dharma in the
phrase of “Sarva Dharma Sambhava” really means the different schools of
thought, lineages, or paramparas within the Vedic fold, those that
actually know and contain the principles of true Dharma. It does not mean
that every religion throughout the world is the same or propagates true
Dharma or deep spirituality. This is something we need to clearly
understand.

A religion may
indeed have some level of Dharma in it, and similarities they all should
share, as we have previously analyzed. But you may have to cut through so
many layers of externals before you reach it. These layers may include forms
of politics, prejudice toward outsiders or “nonbelievers” of other
religions, or ethnic superiority, or the feeling that they are the only true
followers of the only true faith, the only ones who are really saved or who
understand the teachings given by God at the exclusion of everyone else, and
so on. Somewhere in all that there may be some genuine Dharma, but by the
time you reach it, and many never do, there may already be too many
corruptions or perversions in the teachings to see the core of what it was
meant to be, unless you have been educated in a system that allows you to
know and recognize genuine spirituality beforehand, which also is rarely the
case. Thus, the differences between religions can be glaringly obvious, and
are what many people cling to, and are held more firmly than some people
would care to admit.

Furthermore, if a
religion has too much rajo-guna or tamo-guna, meaning too much
of the mode of passion and ignorance in it, then it keeps a person bound to
that level of consciousness, imprisoned by the dictates of a mere belief
system or a rigid dogma rather than a spiritual process that can bring a
person to the ultimate freedom of spiritual self-realization. This is the
danger. In this case, such a religion certainly cannot bring one to the
level of sattva-guna or to the mode of goodness from which one can
progress to the level of sudha-sattva, or the quality of pure
goodness of the spiritual dimension. It is no longer a process for reaching
total freedom up to and including moksha, or liberation from all
material existence, but instead keeps one bound to the realm of samsara,
repeated births and deaths in the material creation regardless of how pious
that person may be.

ALL
RELIGIONS ARE REALLY NOT THE SAME

So, let’s face the truth, in
spite of many similarities in their core purpose, each religion offers very
different views of themselves, of other religions, of those who do not
follow their particular path, as well as different views of God and the
purpose of life. Plus, they are often quick to create and show deep
boundaries between each other at the slightest provocation.

One of the most important
points is that if we look closely, we can easily recognize that each
religion certainly brings their followers to different levels of
understanding and consciousness, both materially and spiritually. Which
level of consciousness they attain will make a great deal of difference in
how they perceive themselves in relation to others. They will have different
ideas on what is their spiritual identity, on who or what is God, how to
please Him, and what His attitude is toward His followers and who are not
considered to be His followers, at least according to the dictates of that
particular religion.

Furthermore, like I said,
some Hindu gurus say that all religions are the same, but you really never
hear the authorities of other religions say that. Who among the Christians,
Muslims, Jews, or even the Buddhists say that all religions are the same?
Some big preachers from non-Hindu religions even vehemently disagree with
that point and not only disrespect those of other religions, but say they
are all condemned to hell in the eyes of their God. Well, isn’t that a
soothing thought? This is also why an increasing number of people are giving
up the conventional forms of religion and taking up what can be called
spirituality, which can be more personal and not tied to the dictates of a
dogma. Why would someone do this? Obviously, they want to continue in their
own development without being a part of all the trouble, divisiveness, and
quarrel that comes from holding an allegiance toward one particular
religion. Freedom to think, ask, inquire, investigate, and experience what
we want in our spiritual quest certainly begins to make more sense than to
be tied to the obligation of accepting a dogma in order to be accepted by
the church or mosque or institution for getting to heaven, if you believe in
such a thing.

Another point is that some
people think the Hindu sages of old said that truth is one, but the paths to
it are many. So, again we have a misunderstanding that keeps some Hindus
thinking all religions are equal. However, once again that is not accurate.
The real saying is "ekam sat, vipra bahuda vadanti,"that truth is one, but the names for it are many. This means
something else entirely. Thus, it becomes obvious that different religions
also prescribe different ways to reach God, or attain heaven, or whatever it
is they promise people. And each religion thinks that they offer the one
true and only way, as if they have a patent or copyright on the process and
teachings, as if God spoke only one time to one person and no one else, and
now that person is the only representative of God that we must all follow,
or go to eternal damnation. Here again is only mankind projecting their own
weaknesses into their conception of God. And when that is the case, there is
no end to the variations or differences in religions.

To get a better idea, let us
compare some of the differences in religions that we can easily recognize.

DIFFERENT FACTORS IN VARIOUS
RELIGIONS

· One book or many. Here we can
start with the fact that the Christians have their Bible, composed of a
variety of books, divided into the Old and New Testament. Then we have the
Koran for the Muslims, and a few other books for the Jews. While in the
Vedic system we practically have a whole library that takes a person through
many levels of understanding the Absolute Truth. These include the Vedas,
like the Rig, Atharva, Yajur, and Atharva, then
the Upanishads, Vedanta-sutras, Ramayana,
Mahabharata of which the classic Bhagavad-gita is a chapter, then
the 18 major and 18 minor Puranas, the various Agamas, and
others. Thus, there are differences in the religions from the start.

· One savior or many. Again we
see that the Vedic system provides a variety of teachers, gurus, prophets,
as well as avataras of God to help guide humanity at different times
throughout history. While in the conventional religions there is one God,
one savior, one main messenger and no one else, and you either believe in
him, or you are as good as condemned.

· One God or many forms. In the
Vedic tradition there are many forms of God, many descensions or avataras
of God, all of whom show the pastimes, characteristics and qualities of the
one Supreme Being. But in other religions, they do not accept this. In fact,
they do not even know any descriptive form of God. You ask them what God
looks like, and they are not sure. They may say something about His
character, but even very little of that. And Christianity says that God
appears only as Jesus, or maybe a great cloud over a mountain, a dove, or
something in a figurative sense. Islam, on the other hand, does not present
any form of God, nor does Judaism.

·
One God, or Brahman, Paramatama and Bhagavan. In the Vedic system, these are
the three aspects of God, namely the all pervasive Brahman, spiritual
energy; the Paramatma or localized expansion known as the Lord in the Heart
or Supersoul; then Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality. Whereas in
Christianity they are known as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, though the
meanings of which are not as profound or specific as that given in the Vedic
descriptions. So, from the start, the concept of God is not the same. In
this way, the Vedic culture establishes one Absolute Truth that appears in
many forms, whereas the western and middle eastern religions say there is
only one personal God with only one form, of which they are not sure what
that is.

·In the Vedic system God can expand and appear in the localized form
of the Deity in the temple, whereas the western and middle-eastern religions
condemn Deity worship.

· Dharmists
(those who follow Sanatana-dharma, the Vedic path) are usually very tolerant
of other religions and can recognize the spiritual truths wherever they may
be, in whatever form. Many Christians and Muslims may also be tolerant, but
many are not, and are quick to criticize those of other religions since they
cannot recognize spiritual truth so easily in other forms. One of their
criticisms they often use is that if it is not of their religion, then it
must be of the devil. Where is the logic in this?

·
Dharmists often welcome other religions, as in the way we have seen so many
that have settled in India and made it their home, such as Christianity,
Islam, Buddhism, the Parsis, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Baha’i, etc. While
Christians and Muslims, on the other hand, have a vast history of destroying
any other culture or people in whichever land they invaded. This is a
profound difference that history cannot deny. Intolerance kills.

·So, we can see the liberality, kindness and openness of Dharmists,
yet in any Muslim country, they allow but one religion to flourish, and any
other religion must practice undercover, or they are persecuted and driven
out or even thrown into prison, just as we are seeing many Hindus and
Christians being driven out of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, etc.

·The Vedic system says there are various ways to progress toward God,
but the western and middle-eastern monotheistic religions generally say
there is only their way to God.

· The Vedic system says that all
is God, while other religions say God is far away and takes great endeavor
and approval through the church to reach God.

· The Vedic tradition says that
one can take many lifetimes to attain the spiritual dimension or reach God,
while others says there is but one life to reach perfection or go to eternal
hell.

·This brings us to the point wherein the Vedic system says
there are numerous temporary heavenly or hellish realms that we may have to
work through, based on our pious or impious deeds, while western religions
says there is but one heaven or one eternal hell.

·Vedic Dharma says that a person can ask many and any questions
to understand spiritual truths, while the western religions curb many
questions regarding its dogma, and say you are a doubting person if you ask
too many questions.

·Eastern religions explain that one’s situations in life are
due to karma for which a person has to take responsibility, while the
western religions have little philosophy to clarify one’s good or bad
circumstances in life.

·The Vedic spiritual path explains that all beings have souls, while
the western religions say that only humans have souls.

·The Vedic tradition has always accommodated diversity, while western
religions say that you must fit in or face excommunication, and another says
even death.

·The Vedic Dharmists have always spread their culture through the use
of philosophy and spiritual purity, while the western religions have often
spread through the use of force, fear, intimidation, and by criticizing and
threatening all other religions, which is but materialism and ego (“my
religion is best”). We can especially see this when Muslims have
demonstrated in London in their campaign for ruling the world over everyone
else, with signs that said death to non-Muslims and that Islam will rule the
world, and so on. Or when some fanatics try to commit suicide while blowing
up themselves and as many people of other religions as possible, or even
other sects of their own religion, thinking that is a way to get to heaven.
Thus, we can see different views within each religion and the numerous
sects.

·Another difference is how Dharmists use the Sanskrit phrase
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbukam”, which means the whole universe is all one family.
This shows the spirituality of each other and how it is important that we
all cooperate and work together. Yet, we can see that Dharmists have rarely
received the same respect from those of other religions, even those who have
settled in India. How is this an example of all religions being one? Yet, if
Hindus stand up and defend themselves and their culture in their own
homeland against the conversion tactics of Christians, or the violence of
Muslims with similar strength, they are often labeled as saffron
communalists or extremists. It is as if to be a good Dharmist or Hindu, you
must lay your head down so others may cut it off, while those of other
religions can do as they like.

·The fact is that Christianity and Islam will never agree that they
are one with Vedic culture, Hinduism, or that they are the same, or even
part of the same family. They say they are the only one true faith, and all
others, especially Hindus, worship Satan and devils, and are in darkness and
must be “saved”.

·Thus, in what other religion do you find the “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”
concept? Where do you find that any other religion tries to offer the
spiritual vision of seeing the unity between us all? They may promote that
there is unity between all those of the same faith, but they do not
value those of other faiths, unless they are seen as potential
converts. In fact, Christians and Muslims often disdain those who worship
differently, even when in the different sects of the same religion. What
kind of religions are these? Why do they not also advocate seeing the Divine
or spiritual identity within all regardless of religion?

·Vedic tradition does not have a particular founder of the culture.
Whereas there is a specific founder in most conventional religions with a
clear history of how it developed and from where it originated.

·The origins of Vedic culture predates recorded history and certainly
predates any other of the prominent religions that exist today, such as
Christianity (2000 years old) and Islam (almost 1400 years old), and is not
a response to some issue or quarrel. It has stood on its own for many
centuries before the ones that now say they are the only way, or that you
are lost and going to hell if you do not convert to their way of thinking.
Since when do they have the audacity to say such a thing? Since when do they
justify their hostility toward any other religion? They are but recent
inventions compared to Vedic culture and the many older indigenous
traditions around the world.

·How is it that western religions, which are all relatively new, all
think nonbelievers will go to hell? Or think that Hinduism came from the
Bible, when it is obvious that Hinduism predates Christianity by hundreds if
not thousands of years? Dharmists / Hindus do not think like this.

·All religions have validity by what they offer, but how many are
ready to admit that? How many are ready to show respect to other traditions?
If they really did, it would take away from their reason for conversion
campaigns. For example, when will Christianity or Islam admit that they are
not the exclusive religion, the only one authorized or approved by God? When
will they admit that other religions also have validity and spiritual
knowledge to offer? If they cannot, then their view is but an immature form
of egotistical materialism.

·Hindus/Dharmists are always seeking higher levels of spiritual truth,
either by knowledge or realization and experience, whereas the monotheistic
religions say they already have the truth.

·Vedic knowledge is often in harmony with science, whereas the western
and middle-eastern religions are often contrary to science, keeping their
own dogma no matter what.

·Vedic culture accepts reincarnation and karma, but western and
middle-eastern religions do not accept it and say that we all have but one
life to attain spiritual perfection by faith, or meet our place in eternal
hell.

·Vedic tradition says you were born divine and must merely awaken to
that divinity, while western religions say we were born sinners or “in sin”
and must work to be rectified and saved from our sins.

·Vedic followers accept responsibility for their actions as part of
their own karma, while the western religions say it is the devil that tempts
them to do evil things. Or even if they succumb to their temptations they
are saved by the blood of Jesus, who is their savior, or they are saved by
their faith in Allah.

·In the Vedic tradition there is no supreme evil force or devil, or
prince of darkness, though there are certainly evil beings that exist in
both the gross material realm and the subtle realm. Whereas in conventional
western religions there is a devil or Satan that is the cause of the evil in
the world, and who in this way fights with God.

·Vedic Dharmists accept that the means for liberation or freedom from
continued material life is by education, following a spiritual path, and
reaching spiritual or God realization, while conventional western religions
feel that their savior and faith in him is the only way to reach heaven,
which may include baptism, going to church, reading the Bible, etc. Therein,
liberation is promised by Jesus, while in the Vedic premise, liberation must
be earned by the individual.

·Dharmists can view everything as spiritual. Thus, their path becomes
more than a religion but a way of life. While conventional western religions
often divide what is religious and what is secular.

·Vedic Dharmists often try to work in unity with nature, but the West
and western religions often want to control nature and take whatever they
want from her in whatever way they want, often causing trouble and imbalance
in the process.

·The Vedic tradition offers many, many names of God, such as found in
the Vishnu-sahasranama or “Thousand Names of Vishnu” which are based
on His activities, pastimes and many characteristics. Whereas in other
religions His name is only a title, or is limited to Jehovah, Yaweh, or
Allah, or the unnamable. This shows a most limited understanding of the real
character and nature of the Supreme.

·The philosophical purview of the Vedic tradition is wide, and can
include the Purva Mimamsa of Jaimini, the Uttara Mimamsa of Vyasa,
Vaisheshika of Kanada, Nyaya of Gotama, Samkhya of Kapila, Yoga of Patanjali,
Vedanta of Vyasa, and others such as Vaishnavas, Shaivites, Tantrics, and
Brahmanandis. Though these are all schools of thought with their own
followers, they are all still part of the Vedic and Dharmic fold. While in
Christianity or Islam there is only a rigid view or dogma to be followed,
whether it makes clear sense or not, and if there is any difference of
opinion, then that person or persons become forced out or become a separate
sect that disagrees with everyone else.

·Dharmists believe that hellish punishment can exist after death if
one is too evil, but that it is temporary after one becomes rehabilitated.
However, in Christianity or Islam they feel a person has but one chance to
reach heaven or hell, and that is also eternal with no chance of
rehabilitation. This seems to give a harsh view of God and fly in the face
of any idea that God is merciful and full of unconditional love.

CONCLUSION

We could go on describing such differences, but this should be enough to
make our point clear. You could also say that these differences listed above
are but rifts between the ways of religion as we know it today and
spirituality. The core purpose of each is meant to be the same, which is to
help a person connect with the spiritual dimension or bind themselves to
God. But conventional religion seems to have taken a different route, based
on the desire to conquer, convert and control. This is much like a political
movement that gives the people just enough information to make them think
they are making progress in the right direction, but still withholds the
most essential knowledge in order to keep them under the influence of the
institution. Religion, thus, seems to expect people to blindly accept
whatever is given or forced on them without question. Spirituality, on the
other hand, is the freedom a person can exercise in his or her search for
the spiritual path that provides the lessons, knowledge and experience that
is most suitable for that person’s inner development in this particular
lifetime.

Spirituality is basically an
internal process, which is emphasized in yoga and meditation. Spirituality
is often more personal and individual then the way we see religion today,
though it is sometimes shared in groups such as on holy days when large
gatherings may take place. Nonetheless, it does not depend so much on outer
customs, although external rituals may be done for the development of
internal changes or other benefits. Furthermore, anyone practicing religion
is usually considered a religious person, but is not necessarily spiritual
if he or she is not able to recognize the spiritual essence within that is
shared by one and all. If a person cannot recognize the spiritual identity
of oneself and others, then he is not spiritual, no matter how religious he
may pose himself to be. This is one of the main differences between ordinary
religious practice and genuine spirituality. And this is something that
should be kept in mind.

In conclusion, it is a great
disservice and a misjudgment to say that all religions are equal, or are the
same. Actually, they all take you to different levels of consciousness,
different views of God, varying levels of understanding, assorted reasons
for life, and dissimilar views of each other or of ethnic groups. In fact,
in this way, some religions perpetuate what is really a materialistic view,
the bodily concept of life, which also emphasizes the ego and one’s status
or position compared with others. This gives way to views such as “I’m
better than you, my religion is superior to yours, my God is better than
yours.” This latter point certainly leads to disharmony between us. It leads
to quarrel, friction, persecution of others who are different, and even
religious wars, which the world has seen so much of, and which is not the
purpose of real religion. This is not the way to reach the goal of life.

Thus, the reality is that
religions and spiritual paths are not all the same, and it behooves us to
understand and distinguish what is genuine spirituality or Dharma, and learn
how to follow it to attain the inner realizations that make all the
difference between mundane or faith-based religion and that which will take
us to a higher consciousness and perception of who and what we really are.
This is the real purpose, rather than merely being sold a level of
self-glorification or pride for considering ourselves to belong to a
particular religion that gives us the favor from who or what we think is
God, and, thus, privileging ourselves to think that we are automatically
“saved” simply because we “believe”, and are above all others who are not
“delivered” in such a way. That is another egotistical conception that
should have been overcome and left behind long ago if and when we follow a
real spiritual path that uplifts us above and beyond such a view. It is only
at that time when we might have the possibility for genuine religious
harmony.